35 of my favorite books for entrepreneurs
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I love to read, and because I don't have much time for my favorite hobby, I also love to listen to audiobooks. Gotta get my fix in somehow!
I don't love listening to self-help/nonfiction though, or at least I used to find the idea abhorrent. The idea of listening to someone talk on and on about how to "up your game," or become "more focused," ...blah, blah, blah... could have easily been a form of punishment for me.
That is, ––until I read a couple of business books of my own free will. (I got sucked in, okay?!)
They opened my eyes to a whole new genre which I can actually tolerate, as it turns out, and some of which I really (REALLY) enjoyed reading/listening to.
So, as with most things I get excited about, I dove in head first and created a list of books I want to read in this genre. And since I went to all that effort, I figured I should share the wealth of knowledge with you too!
Here is a list of some of my favorite books for creative entrepreneurs, and a long list of books I’ve been recommended, that I’m still trying to make time to read myself.
4 business & personal growth books I absolutely love!
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
by: Jen Sincero
Okay, obviously this one has some language in it, so if that's not your cup of tea, then I wouldn't pick this one up. However, if you can look past that, Jen has so many wise words to share, and it'd be well worth your time.
She's a little goofy, has some really neat & empowering stories to share, and she narrates the audio herself. #loveit
Profit First
by: Mike Michalowicz
If your first thought was, “–Oh no. I can’t read a “finance book!” Then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. 😃
It’s not just ANY finance book, in fact, it’s almost an anti-finance book because Mike is not a money-guy! He’s just a regular guy, who happens to be pretty funny & yes, he narrates his own book if you prefer to listen vs read.
He’s an entrepreneur that finally figured out why relying on the Quickbooks’ Profit & Loss statements to tell him where his money is going all year, was NOT working for him. He shares his story, and why/how he finally learned that his P&L statements will never say what happened to the “profit” his accountant said he was earning.
(ie: the answer to “where did it all go?” is typically, “you’ve already spent it.” 😳🫣)
This book was THE catalyst that helped me figure out how to finally start paying myself a regular salary AND become a profitable business (without spending that profit) at the same time.
She Means Business: Turn Your Ideas into Reality and Become a Wildly Successful Entrepreneur
by: Carrie Green
This was one of my first self-help-business-book reads. I started with the audiobook, and loved it so much that I bought the physical book and keep it on my desk.
She talks about visualizing and manifesting "your future history," a quote that really slapped me in the face, actually (in a good way). Her book is not only uplifting, it's also definitely motivational, and she also narrates the audio herself.
Building A Story Brand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen
by: Donald Miller
Donald Miller’s book was WOW. For someone that “marketing” doesn’t come naturally to, this was GOOD STUFF.
He uses movies as examples for his points, which makes them SO MUCH MORE RELATABLE and not at all stale and business-like. The audiobook was a great listen too.
Ash Ambirge shares her amazing, inspiring, and relatable journey from imposter syndrome to –as she puts it– unf*ckwithable. 😂 Ya gotta love that snark! I LOVED this book. I’ve read it several times, and listened to it as well, because she narrates it herself and it actually had me laughing out loud in parts. I own multiple copies of this book: Kindle, hardback, and Audible.
Marie Forleo is a powerhouse, but the story she shared in this book felt approachable, interesting, and empowering. As someone with an analytical mind centered on problem-solving, I really enjoyed reading all about how everything really is figure-outable.
Jen Sincero is an actual badass, and I love that she narrates her books. Her audiobooks are a great listen and the content is a tiny bit woo-woo but in a relatable way with real-world application. (I may, or may not, also have 3 copies of this book…)
Laura Belgray’s Tough Titties book is less of a business book, and more of a highlight reel of the zig-zagged path she took from teenager to entrepreneur, and becoming what we now know as a ‘famous copywriter’ who’s friends with Marie Forleo, and now author too, ––with countless LAUGH OUT LOUD moments along the way. She narrates her own book too, which definitely adds some realness to her recollections of all kinds of spicy and embarrassing scenarios that you won’t believe she put in print. #loveherconfidence
Mark Manson, well. That book was a great read for a Type A personality, like mine. It was a good read and was definitely something I needed to hear & teach myself (when to turn it on or off too, as the situation calls for it). It’s not naturally in my DNA to not care about what I’m doing. Anything I’m doing is a project that must be finished & must be done well whether I’m cleaning the house, writing a blog post, or typing up an email. I put 100% effort into everything I do, which is exhausting & the situation doesn’t always call for that level of effort. Definitely had a few ‘woke’ moments for me.
Christine McAlister’s book, The Income Replacement Formula, is reminiscent of Jen Sincero’s written voice so of course I liked it! The content is similar but the 7 steps do break it down into more actionable advice. Definitely worth a read!
More Goodies for Bibliophiles & Readers
With such good starts as the ones I just listed, I’ve been on a search for more. Here's what I’ve read recently, or have added to my Biz To-Read list.
You can visit my Goodreads Business Bookshelf to stay up to date and check out anything I've added there.
LIST LAST UPDATED IN APRIL 2024
I'll try to update this list as I find new ones, but to keep up with the up-to-date list, you can bookmark my Goodreads Business Books bookshelf and find all of this info there too.
If you love books, but you've never heard of Goodreads, it's the most awesome (free) book-related resource out there, aside from the library of course, but they're not the same thing. They've got digital bookshelves to stay organized, lists-galore, book reviews, links to where you can purchase, give-away entries, ability to follow authors you love, and the oldies/classics are available for free right from Goodreads!
They've got an iOS app, and an optional Reading Challenge each year to encourage you to reach a goal that you set yourself! One year, I set a goal of 50 and reached 70 books! Whew; yeah that hasn't happened since then, but I do still average 30-40/year, which ain't bad if I do say so myself! ;)
